The research shortlist
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TRex Top pick
Menu-bar OCR that copies visible text to the clipboard
Metadata checked Aug 18, 2026
Closest functional match, with a current v2.0.0 release, native menu-bar workflow, MIT licensing, and free GitHub/Homebrew installation paths.
TRex closely matches TextSniper’s workflow: invoke a global capture, select non-selectable text, and paste the offline OCR result. It also handles QR/barcode reading and automation integrations.
- 01 Region capture to clipboard from a global shortcut
- 02 Offline OCR with configurable recognition languages
- 03 QR/barcode reading plus Shortcuts, Alfred, Raycast, and URL-scheme integrations
- The App Store build is paid, but the official repository documents free GitHub Releases and Homebrew installation.
- Requires macOS Screen Recording permission.
Evidence sources (8)
- TRex official GitHub repository Source available ·
- TRex MIT license file License ·
- TRex v2.0.0 release Release ·
- TRex free GitHub download path Free at review time ·
- TRex macOS requirements and installation Documented macOS path ·
- TRex official homepage Website ↗ ·
- GitHub REST repository API Source available ·
- GitHub license metadata License ·
macshot
Native open-source screenshot suite with OCR
Metadata checked Aug 18, 2026
Best broader replacement when OCR is part of a full capture workflow: current v4.2.1, native Swift/AppKit implementation, GPLv3 source, and free DMG/Homebrew distribution.
Full review — capabilities, 2 caveats, evidence
A polished menu-bar capture tool that adds quick OCR and clipboard copy to a broader native toolkit for annotation, scrolling capture, recording, redaction, translation, and sharing.
- 01 Quick OCR from a configurable global hotkey with Apple Vision and clipboard copy
- 02 Native annotation, scroll capture, recording, history, redaction, and beautify tools
- 03 Multi-language OCR, QR/barcode detection, translation, and optional cloud uploads
- Requires macOS 12.3 or later and Screen Recording permission.
- It is substantially broader than TextSniper, so it may be more software than needed for OCR alone.
Evidence sources (12)
- macshot official GitHub repository Source available ·
- macshot GPLv3 license file License ·
- macshot v4.2.1 release Release ·
- macshot free release download path Free at review time ·
- macshot macOS requirements and installation Documented macOS path ·
- macshot official homepage Website ↗ ·
- macshot product preview Screenshots ·
- GitHub REST repository API Source available ·
- GitHub license metadata License ·
- Latest macOS release asset Free at review time ·
- Active releases with macOS DMG downloads Release ·
- Project logo in the official repository Screenshots ·
Grabbit
Lightweight menu-bar screenshots with on-device OCR
Metadata checked Aug 18, 2026
A credible focused option with repeated 2026 releases, MIT licensing, free downloadable binaries, and a simple menu-bar OCR flow.
Full review — capabilities, 3 caveats, evidence
A focused Swift/AppKit screenshot and annotation utility with region capture, quick clipboard capture, Vision OCR, and a small local capture library.
- 01 Global region capture and quick capture to clipboard
- 02 On-device Vision OCR with selectable-text output
- 03 Annotation, blur/pixelate, spotlight, steps, crop, resize, and persistent capture history
- Requires macOS 13 or later and Screen Recording permission.
- The unsigned download requires a one-time Gatekeeper/quarantine workaround.
- Smaller community and younger project than TRex or macshot.
Evidence sources (10)
- Grabbit official GitHub repository Source available ·
- Grabbit MIT license file License ·
- Grabbit v0.3.1 release Release ·
- Grabbit free GitHub download path Free at review time ·
- Grabbit macOS requirements and installation Documented macOS path ·
- Grabbit official homepage Website ↗ ·
- Grabbit project logo Screenshots ·
- Grabbit editor screenshot Screenshots ·
- GitHub REST repository API Source available ·
- GitHub license metadata License ·
Specifications, side by side
| Attribute | 1 · TRex | 2 · macshot | 3 · Grabbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0-only | MIT |
| Platforms | macOS | macOS | macOS |
| Status | Checked | Checked | Checked |
| Version | v2.0.0 | v4.2.1 | v0.3.1 |
| Stars | 1.9k | 3.0k | 9 |
| Last push | |||
| Caveats | 2 | 2 | 3 |
About TextSniper
TextSniper — Extract text from images, videos, and documents on Mac. The ultimate OCR tool for efficiency.
Setapp listing: Extract text from visuals
